Who run the world?

At a tech conference? Men.

7 min readOct 16, 2019

The best part of being a woman at a tech conference? No restroom lines. The worst part? Not enough representation on stage.

We’ve been shouting from the rooftops that we need stronger representation from underrepresented communities in tech (women, gender non-conforming, a broad range of ethnicities, etc.) and then shame, blame and call-out tech conference organizers when they fall short. And more often than not, that response is likely warranted.

But, what part do we — as members of these underrepresented communities — play in helping these organizers achieve equality? And can we be doing more to help them in their efforts?

Over the past few years, I’ve been responsible for finding and booking talented speakers for breakouts at our user conference, Pluralsight LIVE. In more ways than I can count, it’s been an absolute blessing. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of the most inspiring people and providing them with a platform to share their brilliance with our community of technologists and tech leaders.

At the same time, it’s been a frustrating and humbling experience. In 2018, I set a goal of featuring an equal number of male and female speakers at LIVE 2018. And despite my best efforts, despite getting really close, I missed.

Why is it so difficult to get equal representation? As a woman and a conference organizer, I view this predicament through two lenses. Here’s my take.

Observation 1: Men are more likely to volunteer to speak.

My take as a conference organizer:

To start, the number of women who volunteer or apply to speak at conferences is minuscule compared to the droves of men who respond to calls for speakers. For example, only 10% of the speaker submissions for LIVE 2019 came from women. (And that’s actually a great start compared to this event.) This reality requires that the organizer seek out female speakers and ask or convince them to speak. I personally research and reach out to hundreds of women each year, including whatever “women who speak at conferences” list is currently flying around the internet. Despite various outreach methods, most don’t respond. It’s a never-ending, time-consuming process that I now account for when planning a conference.

My take as a woman:

This isn’t about a lack of female speakers in the world. It’s about the number of women who say yes to speaking. According to this survey of event managers, women say no almost 50% of the time they’re asked to speak and men say yes about 90% of the time. And for those that do volunteer, they’re often overbooked or they limit the number of times they speak each year to avoid burnout. The answer is not to ask these women to speak more often but to expand the number of women who say yes. The first step to achieving equality is by increasing the number of women who take advantage of the opportunities to speak.

There are a myriad of reasons why women don’t say yes more: lack of confidence in their presentation skills or topic knowledge; lack of funds to support travel/time away from work; childcare and household responsibilities; lack of time to prepare; personal commitments, etc. Every reason is valid, but if you’ve been shouting from the rooftops that we need more representation then you should also be applying for speaking spots. You should be encouraging those in your networks and communities to share their voices. If men are so willing to do it, why aren’t we?

Observation 2: Male speakers don’t expect payment.

My take as a conference organizer:

Events are already expensive to produce; thus, many well-intentioned, smaller conferences simply don’t have the budget to cover speaker fees, honorariums, and travel coverage. Given these budget constraints, it’s just more feasible to book speakers who don’t require compensation. Further, in my experience, it seems that men are more likely to volunteer without the expectation of payment. Perhaps that’s an isolated experience or perhaps these speakers are still developing their portfolio.

All that said, I still find it hard to believe that a large-scale conference can’t siphon off a portion of the budget for these expenses. To ensure equal footing at the outset, we budget for and then provide each breakout speaker with the exact same compensation at LIVE. (We have a separate budget for main stage speakers given the fees vary so much based on demand.) Even still, I sometimes have to turn away women (and men) because we don’t have the budget to cover their personal speaking fees.

My take as a woman:

On one hand, every time I encounter a woman with an unwavering speaking fee, I applaud them for the hard work they’ve put in to get to that point. I see them and I am inspired. The gender pay gap is very real and I support anyone (man, woman, whoever) getting paid based on the value they deliver. On the other hand, until we can increase the number of women who take the opportunities to speak, we must entertain the idea of speaking without the expectation of compensation, because at times, equal compensation for speakers may be $0.

Observation 3: Parity is the new norm.

This year, fueled by last year’s near-miss, I set the same parity goal and you better believe we moved mountains to hit it. Twice. Here’s how.

My take as a conference organizer:

Diversify your committee. If you want to increase the number of women who speak at your conference then ask women to get involved with your speaker selection committee. Including different perspectives will inevitably change the way you approach (and solve!) the problem.
Plan for outreach. It takes time (more time than you know) to dig through endless speaker lists; to research female experts; to write personalized outreach emails, LinkedIn messages, and tweets; to keep track of who you’ve contacted and then to follow up with each one.
Build a budget. You’ll make things so much easier on yourself and the speakers if you can offer them compensation in return for their time and expertise. Bonus points if you can offer the same rate for all speakers within the same tier.
Ask for help. I have met some of the greatest women, advocates, and allies by simply asking for referrals, forwards, and retweets. And if you’re unsure of where to start, ask me for help.
Stay focused. If you find yourself saying, “why stop at 50%?! why not get 80% women?!” then you’re missing the point. Equality is the goal; domination by one gender over another is not the goal. Representation is what matters most. Don’t get caught up in proving something to someone.
Expertise doesn’t have a gender. Please don’t just replace a manel with a women in tech panel or the like. Women don’t attend conferences to hear about how other women “manage it all.” Female speakers can talk about so much more than the womanly woes they’re facing in the tech industry. Don’t insult their expertise.

My take as a woman:

Lift each other up; don’t immediately assume or blame the organizers. I’d bet the organizers have tried to book female speakers and they’re struggling for all the aforementioned reasons. A conference featuring predominantly white, male speakers likely needs your help — not your snark. Instead of berating organizers or pointing out their flaws on social media (I’m looking at you, WWCode), you should offer up your brilliant network to help those organizers create a more diverse roster. Be the change; don’t be a bully.

In summary: Be deliberate about the experience you create.

As a conference organizer and a woman:

Some people say there aren’t a lot of women in tech. But I’ve found them. I’ve found them on list after list after list. I’ve found them on LinkedIn. On Twitter. Through referrals. I’ve had the privilege of connecting with the most amazing women, advocates, and allies over the last few years. I’ve experienced the struggles of being an event organizer. I’ve seen how difficult it can be, from both sides. But I’ve also seen it work. We’ve made the commitment to be relentless about equality and inclusion. And I know there are conferences, like Pluralsight LIVE, that want to highlight the achievements and brilliance of the women in this world — not because of their gender — but because representation matters.

In truth, I’ve wrestled with writing this for fear that my words and my intent would be misinterpreted; that I’ll be chastised and shamed; that I’ll offend someone. I also recognize that by singling out males and females, I am alienating many who don’t fit within those genders. And then by focusing on gender, I’m not focusing on other forms of diversity and inclusion. I believe inclusion means more than gender parity. But we have to start the conversation somewhere, and so, I’m starting here. I want to live in a world where equality and representation isn’t the destination; it’s the norm. And I know we can create that world, together.

Who run the world?

At a tech conference? Men.

Observation 1: Men are more likely to volunteer to speak.

Observation 2: Male speakers don’t expect payment.

Observation 3: Parity is the new norm.

In summary: Be deliberate about the experience you create.

Want help creating a more diverse conference? Here’s a start.

Written by erin mcnamara